The present invention relates to a mailing apparatus, and particularly to a mailing machine capable of handling items of mail in envelopes of different sizes and shapes, without adjustment, and which automatically discerns mail in envelopes of varying size, weights the mail items individually, applies appropriate bar codes,if desired, to each item and then transfers each item to either a bulk mailing station or to a further station where each item is dispensed automatically to a receptacle designated for the particular zip code previously applied to the item, and especially which can be configured to occupy little space so as to provide a compact mailing machine. The term "letter" as used herein should be taken generally to mean an item or piece of mail.
In the past, machines such as the above have been rather large and occupy a substantial amount of floor space, or, if the individual mailing functions have not been combined into one apparatus, the individual pieces will be remotely located from each other making the procedure of processing mail less efficient, more time consuming and, accordingly, more costly to process mail.
Examples of previously known mail processing devices, or similar devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,541 entitled "Apparatus for Transferring Stacks of Mail or Like Articles", issued Jan. 1, 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,610 entitled "Sorting Apparatus", issued Dec. 18, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,209 entitled "Postage Metering System Having Weight Checking Capacity", issued May 7, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,678 entitled "Sorter Apparatus for Transporting Articles to Releasing Locations" issued Aug. 25, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,249 entitled "Mailing Machine", issued May 8, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,022 entitled "Automatic Mailing Apparatus" issued May 8, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,048 entitled "Sorting Line for Processing Envelopes, Particularly for Photographic Laboratories", issued Sep. 15, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,669 entitled "Paper Feed Mechanism Having an Adjustable Restrainer", issued Nov. 17, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,037 entitled "Front End Feeder for Mail Handling Machine", issued Nov. 27, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,196 entitled "Apparatus for Adjustably Securing a Bar Code Scanner Device Using Nylon Hook and Loop Type Fasteners" issued Mar. 2, 1993.